Silver Hairs and Fading Eyes
by Ardna
Summary: An aged Queen Rapunzel reflects on things past, and considers the strange appeal of immortality.


Rapunzel gazed out her window at the beautiful Kingdom stretching on beyond her castle, and in the distance, the green hills of the mainland. The Queen smiled, for she had been looking at this sight for many a year now. Age had faded her vision somewhat; her eyes could not see as far as they once had.

Thinking of age brought Rapunzel's mind back to a time long ago, when she had been a young, naïve teenager, still with a spring in her steps. It made her remember the selfish and wicked Mother Gothel, who had kept her an unknowing prisoner for almost her entire life.

It had taken an unexpected adventure with an unlikely companion for her to learn the truth; about who she was, where she came from, what she was meant to be. That same journey had led her to her not-then husband, Eugene Fitzherbert.

Rapunzel chuckled, her many wrinkles deepening pleasantly as she smiled. Yes, Eugene had been something truly unexpected and unlikely. It had taken a while to tame the charming young thief, but he had gotten to marry Rapunzel in the end, so he didn't mind getting a few rough edges knocked off.

Dear Eugene. It had been a wonderful life with him thus far. They had ruled the Kingdom together for many years, then stepped back as first their children, and now soon their grandchildren, took their place as Kings and Queens of the land.

Not that there hadn't been sorrows through the many years that had passed. Rapunzel's eyes flicked over to a collection of small paintings. Pascal, her dear little chameleon friend. Her parents, wonderful and loving to the very last moment. And Maximus, devoted Maximus. His descendants proudly carried the safety of the Kingdom in their hands… Uh, hoofs.

But despite joys and sorrows, Rapunzel regretted nothing. Oh, it would have been simply horrid if she had never left that tower! Forever and ever giving Mother Gothel her youth, ever prolonging her imprisonment. It was terrifying to think of.

Still, it saddened Rapunzel as she thought of Mother Gothel's death. Despite her greed, and the wrongness of her actions, she had treated Rapunzel well. And even now, after all she had done, Rapunzel could never forget the love she had felt for the woman for so long. It was hard to hate someone you had called 'Mother' your whole life.

The elderly Queen continued to gaze out the window as her thoughts went on.

She really couldn't understand why Mother Gothel had been so desperate to stay young. After all, the process of slowly becoming old was really such a delight, a brand new experience that you could have only once. True, your bones grew more tired, and you became stiff where once you were loose, but just because your body wore down didn't mean your heart had to.

Take Eugene, for instance. He was even older than she, but he still stole her crown off her head for silliness' sake, refusing to return it until she had paid for it with a kiss. It had been a game of theirs for decades now. Eugene never tired of it.

And he was always amongst his little ones. Upon becoming a father, Eugene had discovered a love for children he had never known before. If he hadn't grown old, he never would have learned that. And if Rapunzel had never grown old, she never would have learned what it meant to care for those who lived in her Kingdom.

And if neither had grown old, then neither would have known what it meant to fall deeper and deeper in love with each passing day.

No, Rapunzel thought to herself, being forever young wouldn't be nice at all. She preferred getting slower and achier each day. Because, really, staying young forever just wouldn't be any fun at all.

"Pfah, light 'n m'eyes," Eugene grumbled as he tugged the sheets up over his face.

Rapunzel smiled. "Time to get up, Eugene," she sang. "It's a beautiful morning."

"Nuh," Eugene mumbled into the sheets. "I'd like b'tiful _afternoon_ be'er."

"Eugene, if you won't get out of bed, I'll _drag_ you out," Rapunzel warned.

Eugene rolled down the sheets enough to reveal The Smolder. Then he vanished back underneath the blankets.

"Eugene…"

"Nuh."

"Come on, Honey."

"_Nuh_."

"Can't you at least talk straight?"

"Mmmm… Nuh."

Rapunzel burst out laughing. Yeah, creaky bones and wrinkles made no change to a heart. No change at all.

And it was just perfect that way.


End file.
